


Before the Storm, Part III

by TerriblyRogue



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/F, skimmons - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-05-13
Packaged: 2018-01-24 16:15:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1611422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerriblyRogue/pseuds/TerriblyRogue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coulson and his team launch a final assault to stop Garrett and diminish Hydra’s power.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Breach.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: No characters in this story belong to me. All work and characters derived from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
> 
> \---
> 
> This is part III of Before the Storm. Again, forgive my link formatting. I'm sure there's a country where I'd get arrested for linking in such a crass manner.
> 
> Part I: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1580132/chapters/3355775
> 
> Part II: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1580192/chapters/3355913
> 
> \----
> 
> I am incredibly grateful to all of you for accompanying me in this rather strange, alternate and less interesting version of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
> 
> Hopefully season two won't take over my life like this one did.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I've learned so much I should be paying you!
> 
>  
> 
> Also skimmons.

It was an odd feeling, seeing the world she knew before with different eyes. She was on a mission, separating herself from civilians. _I know something you don’t_. After the Battle of New York, her impulse was to get involved in the secrets they had tried to cover up with the official story, so that when the time came, she wouldn’t have to wonder if she could have done more. Her first instinct was always to try and control a situation. S.H.I.E.L.D. gave her that; purpose, anonymity, a day job. Now she was ready to give all to the spiritual successor of an organization she once stood against.

“After this is over, we need to get some vegetables to go along with our junk food, or high-blood pressure will kill us before Hydra has a chance to,” Simmons said, giving money to the delivery man, handing Skye one of the bags.

“You have terrible bedside manner,” Skye said. Now both smiling politely and closing the door.

“This is the first I’ve heard of complaints about my bedside manner from you,” Simmons said with a satisfied grin. Skye was continually surprised by how Simmons’ loosened around her. 

“Guys,” Coulson said, getting their attention, “I just contacted Hill. We move in two hours.”

“What’s changed?” asked May.

“Arrests. Funding terrorist organizations isn’t exactly legal. Looks like S.H.I.E.L.D. is taking some of Hydra with it,” answered Coulson, leaving the satphone on the table and helping set it up for the food.

“Won’t he know there’s something wrong when he hears his benefactors are getting locked away?” asked Fitz.

“That’s why we need to do this before,” May said.

The crew gathered, now time to go over the plan once more before engaging. Mike had unwittingly given them a target. Skye accessed his communications to Garrett, channel still open, and traced his location. The layout of the base accounted for two entry points, both heavily guarded, leaving only a breach with explosives in the weakest place in the building -the water damaged bathrooms, as is usually the case in these old structures, suggested Fitz- as a viable option.

—

It was becoming second nature. Muscle memory doing most of the work helped keeping her in the moment. The spatial awareness, listening intently to any change in the soundscape, keeping a light but firm grip on her pistol. She counted light bulbs to gage the distance traversed. She looked back after every turn to make sure her team was intact.

“We’re here, sir,” Fitz said, his index finger on his lips as he double checked his tablet to make sure.

“Trip, Fitz,” Coulson said as he stopped and studied his surroundings. 

Triplett kneeled and opened his backpack, sticking the detonation cord to the wall with May’s assistance. Fitz and Simmons moved to one of the wall panels, tinkering with the power grid. 

“This will work, right?” asked Fitz.

“Explosives in a structurally unsound tunnel? What could go wrong?” Simmons answered.

“I can hear you, you know,” Triplett said, smiling. 

“Sorry, Trip,” Simmons and Fitz said in unison. 

“Okay, let’s get back,” Coulson said, moving the team to a safe distance, “Fitzsimmons, are you ready?”

“Yes, sir,” Fitz said, his hand on a switch. 

“Do it,” Coulson said, prompting Fitz to flick the switch and killing the light to the base, giving them only a few seconds before the backup generators kicked in and sounded the alarm.

He looked at May. She nodded and readied herself to take point. He motioned to Triplett, and he detonated the charge. The sound was deafening for Skye, relying on mainly on her eyes once the dust had settled. The crew moved in, Triplett, May and Coulson guiding the assault, leaving Skye, Fitz and Simmons following. 

The backup generator had kicked in. The place looked deserted compared to what they had expected. Most of the base seemed to have served as barracks and storage. May and Triplett took out two approaching men in close combat, relying on Skye and Coulson to cover them. Minimal noise, prioritizing their moves to keep the enemy confused for as long as possible.

It’s less people than they had anticipated, but still a formidable force. They had cleared most of the structure, now getting to the main operations room. It was empty.

“Dammit,” Coulson said, dropping his stance now sure there were no more hostiles. 

“It could be them being tipped off or just bad luck,” said May.

“No. Garrett isn’t afraid of us, this has nothing to do with us,” he answered.

“Guys, I hear something,” said Skye, pointing with her pistol to a locked room.

Warning signs, decontamination station, security clearances. 

“It’s a lab,” Simmons said.

This was it. Skye stood by the door, allowing Triplett to take point. Coulson opened the door slowly, glimpsing inside and seeing the body of a man as it fell to the ground on his knees, later a hand holding a syringe standing behind him.

“Raina?” Coulson said, as she dropped the syringe and moved her hands up, not quite over her hands.

“I surrender,” she answered.


	2. Interview

Raina was poised, straightening her flower dress as she sat, once she was sure Coulson was more interested in talking than shooting. She was waiting for what she knew was next. Coulson moved closer, trying to get a read on her. The rest of the team entered the laboratory. 

“Look for anything we can use,” Coulson said, not taking his eyes off Raina or holstering his weapon. She looked straight at him.

Fitz and Triplett began searching the lab equipment and the remaining cargo outside, while Skye and Simmons looked over the medical data in the computers. May neared Raina, somewhat breaking her composure. 

“I can move this along if that’s what you want,” Raina said, doing her best to avoid May’s glare.

“I can tell you’ll be helpful,” May said with a smirk.

“What was that back there?” Coulson asked.

“A show of good faith. Garrett and I are diverging in thought. I saw a chance and I took it,” Raina said.

“What’s your angle?” Coulson said.

Raina broke off her stare with Coulson and followed Skye’s movements as she made a backup of whatever Raina was too late to get rid of. Skye could feel Raina’s eyes on her. A twitch on her shoulder, a strange pull. 

“I have no care for super soldiers. Both Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.S.’ approach to people with real special abilities is uninteresting to me. You want to harness them, hide them. I want to understand them,” Raina said.

“She’s awfully forthcoming,” Simmons said to Skye.

“Not with anything useful. Where’s Garrett and Ward?” Coulson said, now a tighter grip on his pistol.

"After this is over, we part ways and I’ll tell you where he and Ward are. They have big plans and they’re going to be hard to find once they’re in the air,” Raina said.

May turned to Coulson, she heard of Raina’s persuasion skills, and thought to become a stare of reason. Coulson got the message. 

“I don’t see how that deal isn’t going to come back and bite me in the ass,” Coulson said. Skye stopped looking over the data transfer and stood closer to Coulson now that the backup was a matter of time. She was relieved in his answer.

“A military convoy moving in the open? We can find him on our own,” May said.

"Can you get Mike’s son out unscathed with a phone call?” Raina asked, playing her last card.

Skye couldn’t conceal the anger and disgust she felt, the need to protect Ace overwhelming. As soon as Raina used him as leverage, Simmons moved behind Skye, a hand on her shoulder and the other holding her hand, a look of concern as she stopped her. She reacted emotionally, just like Ward told her never to do. 

“Skye,” Raina said, intrigued by Skye and Simmons’ interaction until she came to a conclusion, “Agent Ward will be thoroughly disappointed with this development.” 

“Yeah, ’cause that’s the only obstacle between us,” she replied, anger in her voice.

“Let’s meet outside,” Coulson said, guiding the group out of the lab while May tied Raina up.

Fitz and Triplett had methodically scavenged every inch of the place. They’d come up with some ammunition and supplies, and Fitz tinkered with one of the tablets. He stood up once he and Triplett realized the team’s presence.

“Jemma, look at this,” Fitz said, looking at a shipping manifest in the tablet. Simmons approached Fitz, reading the list over. 

“What is it?” Coulson said.

“I think they’re trying to replicate what the did to Mike, only at a much larger scale,” Simmons said, looking at the team once certain of the implications, “they’re reviving Project Centipede.”

“What’s our move?” Triplett asked. Coulson’s face was contemplating a possible answer.

“Phil. Don’t,” May said.

“I don’t see how we have a choice,” Coulson replied.

“You can’t be considering this. She tortured you, you barely survived,“ Skye said.

“I remember. Vividly,” Coulson said grateful for Skye’s concern, “But we’ll have to buy Hill some time. I know Raina’s up to something, but stopping Garrett is higher on our list right now."

Simmons and Fitz were whispering to each other, Simmons elbowing Fitz lightly once Coulson finished talking.

“We have a plan,” Simmons said clearing her throat.

“We can ground The Bus with a critical failure in the electrical system. If Skye can connect to the ship’s computer, she can it trick it into thinking there’s a malfunction without having to actually set fire to it,” Fitz said.

“That’s when the ship’s control will default to us,” Simmons’ stated proudly.

“But I need—,“ Skye said.

“—to get close enough, yes,” Simmons continued.

May now looked defeated, about to suggest something she didn’t want to. “We use Raina,” she said.

“That’s still a lot of soldiers even if we infiltrate,” Triplett said.

“We have a Cavalry,” Skye said and swallowed as she registered May’s glare a second later, “May. We have a May.”


	3. Transit.

They were on route to the Bus, now it’s location known thanks to Raina’s cooperation. Skye was getting increasingly more comfortable in tight spaces with people. After a while, they had developed a van etiquette. Give personal space, no smelly foods or reckless testing of dangerous tech on board (mostly directed at Fitz) and no backseat driving. Simmons felt like breaking the first rule was needed, recognizing Skye’s abstraction every time there was a chance she’d see Ward.

The ride was quiet. Everyone doing their best faceless Hydra soldier impersonation. The vehicle acquired from the base could only get them so close to the airfield without being discovered. Raina’s was the only visible face from the outside, Triplett playing the role of a common grunt. Their plan got them past the outlying checkpoints with ease. 

“Everyone, get ready,” Triplett said, driving towards the Bus. 

The guard let the vehicle into the cargo hold and moved to check the back to inventory the new arrivals. Before he could reach for the handle, May opened the door, slamming it against him. She quickly took control of his weapons and moved him out of sight. Triplett got out of the vehicle keeping his face low until he was near to one of the two remaining guards in the lower deck in view. May neared the other one, both of them not realizing their presence being hostile until they were being choked-out. 

She signaled for the rest of the team to get out as she closed the ramp, hoping the maneuver didn’t immediately alert the rest of the plane’s crew. Coulson and Fitz went out first, and Skye was following until she felt the pull of Simmons’ hand on her own. She turned to her. 

_This was it_ , Skye thought. The probability of their success made her want to spare a moment and kiss Simmons for good luck before facing Garrett. 

The crew moves up, with Triplett keeping Raina close. The laboratory being a good place to get set up. Bulletproof, near to the emergency exit and could be locked from the inside. Coulson, Triplett and May now stood guard around it, with Skye accompanying Fitz and Simmons.

“My babies,” Fitz said, as he looked over his old equipment in the lab.

“Fitz!” Simmons said, motioning for him to focus on the helping Skye.

“Right,” he answered.

Skye started interfacing with the plane’s computer. While Skye carried on with the plan, Simmons and Fitz looked for supplies around the lab, finding cartridges for the ICERs and looking over the changes Garrett had done to their lab. 

“Fitz, these are it,” Simmons said, showing Fitz a grenade that had been modified with dendrotoxin.

“I can do more elegant design in my sleep,” Fitz said, getting irritated at the subpar state of Garrett’s armory.

“Jemma, stay away from those, I need you awake, I always end up needing medical attention,” Skye said, only half joking.

May and Coulson got closer to the lounge, keeping out of sight. Garrett and Ward were absent, probably in the C.O.s’ Office. Triplett follows, and as he reached for Raina, he found Mike instead and took a hit to the chest that threw him back. The noise called to the rest of the team, now aware of Mike’s presence. May and Coulson moved to aid him, stopping in their tracks to the voice of Garrett.

“Cut it out, Phil, this is getting annoying,” Garrett said, taking Coulson’s weapon away. 

Coulson exchanged looks with May. They hoped Skye had enough time. 

“Well, I like to think we have a playful relationship like that,” Coulson said. 

“Kid, round them up,” Garrett said.

Ward complied.


	4. IDF.

She could tell Ward didn’t want things to get to this point. That didn’t stop him from following Garrett’s orders. The lounge was big enough for the entire team. Garrett looked over the group deciding what to do with them. He went near the bar and poured himself a drink. 

Skye thought she’d have something to say to him, but she just observed his movements as Ward sat her, hands tied. She still had a hard time reconciling these two different versions of him. He avoided her eyes. 

“So, I just got radioed in and it turns we no longer have the control of this plane,” Garrett said with a grin on his face, “I like you, girl,” looking at Skye, “If only I’d gotten to you before Phil here did.”

“It was a team effort, really,” Coulson said. 

Simmons shifted her posture and May noticed. May signaled for Simmons to not draw attention to herself. Two guards behind the bar, two more near the staircase and one on the way to the cockpit, May and Triplett assessed. 

“Raina was fascinated with you ever since I told her the Guest House story,” Garrett said, taking a sip of his drink, his stance relaxed on the bar. “I’ve half a mind to put a new eye in you and see what you’re capable of.” Garrett turned to Ward, seeing he was was trying to conceal his interest in Skye’s fate. This side of Ward entertained him to a point.

“Let me talk to her, I can get you control back and the decrypted hard drive,” Ward said, towering over the group.

“No, Mike will take her. You stay put,” Garrett says. Ward’s expression now hardened.

Mike walks over to Skye and pulls her up to her feet. Simmons’ reaction is to try to stand with her, not minding herself, until Fitz takes her by the arm and keeps her seated, worry on his face.

Skye waits until she’s closer to the lab to gaze at Mike. 

“Mike please, we can stop him,” Skye said, as she was being dragged down to her laptop. She knew she needed to talk to him alone, while Garrett was distracted with his speech. She waited to be out of sight and stomped on Mike’s left foot, causing him to react by drawing Skye closer for a moment to make sure she wouldn’t leave his hold.

Skye used this proximity to whisper in his ear, “Ace is safe.” Mike acknowledged Skye’s words. If Mike couldn’t get control of his life back, she could at least give him some peace of mind.

He kept his stance and walked Skye to her laptop. She waited for Mike start walking back to the lounge, leaving only one man to guard her. Once she was in front of it, she decided she’d bet on Mike still being in there somewhere. She engaged the autopilot and the Bus commenced its vertical take off. She heard May say before this was a stupid maneuver to attempt unmanned, but the circumstances called for stupid. 

Coulson, May and Triplett used the distraction to get a hold of the guards’ weapons and take cover. Simmons took Fitz by the hand and made him get out of the line of fire behind the couch and took the grenade out of her vest, throwing it towards Garrett and the two men behind him. Ward moved Garrett out of the way, getting them on the floor. Ward had drawn his weapon and aimed at May once he stood. Garrett aimed at Coulson. A moment later, Mike appeared.

“What the hell happened back there? Where’s the girl?” Garret asked Mike. He didn’t answer. He took a pistol from one of the fallen soldiers and shot Garrett before he realized he wasn’t compliant any longer. He fell on his knees, Ward catching him before he hit the floor. Garrett reached into his pocket and activated the kill switch. Mike fell immediately. 

“Mike!” Simmons yelled.

Coulson, May and Triplett now pointed their weapons at Ward. Ward was enraged, holding on to Garrett. He stood up and aimed his pistol at the team. 

“What did you do?” he asked, barely making the words out.

“Ward, put down your weapon, it’s over,” Coulson said.

“Don’t do this,” Fitz said, pleading.

“No,” he said, shaking his head, his face red, “It’s not.”

“Ward?” Skye said, entering the room. Blood on her cheek after dealing with the guard in the lab.

“Skye?” Ward said, looking lost. 

May used her ICER and Ward fell down.


	5. R&R

The Bus landed in a nearby location, where the sun was still setting, at Coulson’s request. He figured the team needed a moment after what they had just accomplished. Raina was missing, but Ward would be taken into custody. Until that time, he would be debriefed by Coulson - who’d inquire into Hydra’s operations-, and kept in the interrogation room. Hill would call them to meet soon enough.

They feared Raina’s plan would involve Hydra’s resources now that she was likely to be promoted after Garrett’s death and Ward’s apprehension. Coulson and May knew that Raina’s direction and interests for Hydra, though different from Garrett’s, were nevertheless dangerous and wondered if her fascination with Skye might play a role.

The cargo door was ajar, with Triplett and Fitz taking turns piloting the D.W.A.R.F. drones. Skye saw Simmons sitting on one of the cases looking out. She sat next to her, Simmons giving her a warm smile to welcome her. 

“So, still don’t know why you’re here?” Skye said, not taking her eyes off her. Simmons turned to the view, getting the hair out of her eyes, and pondered an answer.

“I don’t think I can leave Fitz alone now that he’s gotten a taste of danger, and you’d be a terrible influence on him,” she answered.

“Awful. I’d get him into all kinds of mischief, I say.” Skye had tried on a british accent.

“Skye, you’re terrible at that, I wish you’d stop,” Simmons said, causing Skye to laugh. Their eyes met after the laughter died down. 

“I’m sorry about Mike,” Simmons said.

“I am too,” Skye said, now looking down.

Simmons toyed with one of Skye’s bracelets for a moment, Skye’s head leaning slowly towards her. 

“What happens now?” Simmons asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Us?”, Simmons said, elongating the word as much as possible to read Skye’s reaction before she actually said it.

“Oh, you mean what happens to us now that we’re out of the thrill of immediate danger?” 

“Yes?”

“I don’t know,” Skye said, considering Simmons’ expectant face, “I think we can get out a lot of mileage from you laughing at my jokes and me finding it endearing when you quote Jane Austen.”

“I keep telling you, I’ve never quoted Jane Austen, that’s just how I talk.”

“See? There it is again.”

“Her characters have a completely different speech pattern—“

“I’m just saying—“ 

“Oh, shut it,” Simmons said, elbowing Skye lightly and getting close enough to her to kiss her once she made sure Triplett and Fitz wouldn’t see them.

“All right,” Coulson said, startling them as he came down from the staircase. 

“Coulson,” Triplett said, as he and Fitz turned to him.

“I just talked to Hill. We’ve got our coordinates. She’s waiting for us. We can regroup and fuel up once we get there,” Coulson said, his arms crossed.

“How did you manage a fuel line?” Triplett asked.

“That’s classified,” Coulson answered with a grin on his face.

“I didn’t miss that phrase,” Skye said, as she and Simmons stood.

May came from the lounge, stood close to Coulson.

“Are we ready?” Coulson asked May. She nodded.

“Get everything secured. Wheels up in five,” May said.


End file.
